Which social media platforms to use and why

Updated: Dec 6, 2019

With dozens of social media platforms available to help market your business, it's hard to keep track of what will work best. We’ve come up with a few points that will steer you in the right direction as to what platforms will work well for your business and what you should be focussing on in 2019.

Going social with your business helps improve your brand awareness, helps increase conversion rates, boosts traffic to your website and enhances your customer experience. Ideally, you would have exposure on as many of the social platforms as possible, all with stunning, relevant content, but let’s face it, in the real world most businesses don’t have the time or resource. Therefore naturally, managing your social media accounts becomes the last thing on your mind.

You therefore have to make sure that the social platform you ultimately end up using, is the right one for you and your business. We’ve taken a look at some of the leading platforms to help you decide which ones will work for you.

Facebook

Facebook is the leading force in social media platforms since opening to the public in 2006. Facebook allows you to connect with your audience, share updates, photos, videos, chat, play games, read news stories, stream live video and a hell of a lot more.

So why should you use it?

It’s the largest and most popular social media platform, being on Facebook is vital for your online presence, particularly if your a B2C business.

With hundreds of different features and new ones coming out every day it allows you to use new and exciting marketing techniques.

Facebook has advanced paid marketing tools to enable you to reach an even bigger audience. Re-target customers and those who like the same things.

With an Insights feature you are able to monitor your performance and learn more about how you can reach and target the right audience for your business.

Use Facebook Pixel to link your website and create a unique audience of people who have actively engaged with your website.

A tip from the experts:

"Facebook as a marketing tool is incredible. The things you can achieve as a brand, let alone the insane advertising capabilities are mind-boggling. Facebook is great for tapping into specific demographics (groups of people), so whether you're selling vintage car parts to collectors or wedding cakes to engaged couples, you'll find an audience that's right for you on Facebook."

Twitter

With so many social platforms publishing content, Twitter has reduced the amount of information users can share by limiting their character usage. This means you will have to make the most of the content you share and make sure everything you post is short and to the point.

Twitter has more than 3.28 million users monthly, a huge audience for your business and works astoundingly well for breaking news. The rapid nature in which Twitter runs means it is also very popular with younger users, normally those aged between 18 and 29.

So why should you use it?

Fast and simple way to reach your customers

Reach new audiences by using topic trending on Twitter

Easily understand who your audience is with Twitter analytics

Engage with people AND other brands as your business

A tip from the experts:

"The reality is, Twitter isn't for everybody. There's a lot of politics, rants, opinions and memes. But, get your content right and leverage that audience to your advantage and you're really onto something. Growing a following on Twitter can be quick and if you're looking for content to go viral, you won't find a faster platform."

Instagram

Instagram is made for sharing pictures and videos. Especially useful for lifestyle brands, Instagram is famous for its stunning filters and easily searchable content. Instagram now also features a stories section which allows users to upload photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours, allowing users to share exclusive offers, real-time moments and much more.

Over 700 million users monthly should be enough to make you want to sign up and active users have shared over 40 billion photos.

So why should you use it?

Build and control your brand’s visual identity

Users engage with brands 10 times more than on Facebook and 84 more times than Twitter

But I'm a large service based business? - we hear you ask. Why not consider using Instagram for showcasing your company culture to aid the sourcing and recruitment process?

A tip from the experts:

"Instagram is for the lifestyle. There's no denying it. If your brand sells product, pickup a camera, set the scene and add your filters. Instagram is growing at a greater user rate each year (no wonder why Facebook bought it!), so make sure you setup your account and think about images that will make your audience think 'I need that in my life'."

Pinterest

Not a platform which is readily used by many and is often overlooked. Pinterest offers users to option to share or save content to ‘Pinboards’ or online collections which can revolve around a particular theme. There is no limit to the amount of collections you can have and it encourages users to interact by commenting, repining and liking.

With more than 150 million monthly active users, Pinterest is the place to be! If you sell products, use Pinterest as a creative way of showcasing those products. Alternatively, if you're service-based, think about how you can position your brand or your knowledge through the use of imagery or infographics.

So why should you use it?

People on Pinterest are looking for your products.

Active users use Pinterest to plan purchases. You don’t want to miss out.

Pins last longer than tweets or Facebook likes.

With promoted pins you can target specific audiences.

A tip from the experts:

"We love Pinterest! It's where we go for creative ideas for our work and our office. The majority of Pinterest users are looking for inspiration, be it wedding ideas, home decoration, gardening and so much more. Where there's inspiration, there's intent. Intent to create or intent to buy. Showcase your products or services in a way that your audience will admire. Pin your work, link you products and website visitors will follow."

YouTube

Launched in 2005, YouTube is one of the most popular websites in the world. The social aspect of this platform is reflected in the users’ ability to upload, rate and share videos as well as comment on them. From celebrities sharing content, to the sharing of home videos and those of musical cats this platform is truly host to everything video related.

More than 1.3 billion people use YouTube and more than 500 years of YouTube videos are viewed on Facebook every day.

So why should you use it?

Millennials prefer YouTube to traditional TV.

YouTube allows you to target people that will help you reach the most relevant audience for your business.

You can measure and analyse your ad’s performance.

62% of millennials and 51% of adults over 35 said they’ll likely take-action after watching YouTube ads.

A tip from the experts:

"Consider how a great video strategy could help your business. Whether a promotional video, testimonials, how-to videos or simply humorous behind the scenes content, video is the way forward, make sure to keep up! YouTube may sound like a place where random videos are uploaded daily, and you wouldn't be wrong, but by creating your own channel with great content - you'll soon attract the right followers."

LinkedIn

Launched in 2003, the business-orientated platform is home to more than 500 million users, who connect with one another and find career and business opportunities. Think of LinkedIn as a way to network all the time. You can use LinkedIn to promote yourself or your business with a layout that’s somewhere in between a Facebook profile and CV.

More than 100 million people are active at least once a month. 49% of key decision makers use LinkedIn for business purposes.

So why should you use it?

Connect and collaborate with key figures and businesses in your industry.

You will attract talented professionals to your business.

It’s easy to introduce new products and services and study feedback from your professional community.

Learn about your competitors’ abilities and business networks.

A tip from the experts:

"If you're in business, you need to be on LinkedIn. Especially if you work in the B2B arena. Chances are, almost all of your customers (or at least the decision makers) are on LinkedIn, so why not create a profile, get your brand looking great and your sales pitch on-point, and start connecting with the people on your hit-list. Have a think about how LinkedIn can support your sales approach."

In a nutshell, we’ve taken a look at some of the primary social media platforms which could help enhance your online presence. However, if you're still unsure and need a bit of guidance, we’re always on hand to help.

Contact us today to understand which social platforms are best suited to your business and why.